Perspectives on pain registries

Over the past decade, there has been a surge in interest in “real-world evidence” as it is recognised that the gold standard for evidence—the randomised controlled trial—cannot provide information outside often limited patient populations or treatment strategies, as well as their safety and efficacy. There is a drive, therefore, from patients, clinicians, researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and policymakers to look at wider ways of examining the evidence. Registries are one way to provide longitudinal, observational data, giving rise to a range of possibilities in terms of audit and research. They allow examining approaches to management, which would not be feasible by a trial or where there was no trial data (currently or likely ever) available. In this Perspective, we will discuss aspects of their design, analysis, and use in the field of pain.